Before Now
by EeveeGen9988
Summary: [One-Shot] A year after the fire in Sunshine Forest, Lucas wished things hadn't changed. For [Twelve Shots of Summer: Trinity Limit] [Repetition]


**Before Now:**

 **I do not own the Mother/Earthbound series, Nintendo (and other people involved with the Mother series) does!**

 **WARNING! Spoilers for Chapters 1-3 (and _tiny_ bit for Chapter 4) from Mother 3! Turn back before it's  too late... *points paw at everyone* Well, unless you don't mind spoilers... read on and enjoy! *puts thumbs (paws) up***

 **Written for Twelve Shots of Summer - Week 7…**

* * *

Lucas slowly opened his eyes, at first staring at the blurry walls, trying to gradually sit up and make sense of his surroundings. The chirping of birds filled the room, the sun already lit it in a soft, golden light... He must have slept in again, just as he always did.

After he got out of bed, he slowly got dressed, a routine he was far used to doing on his own now. Even if Claus didn't wake him up in the most abrupt way possible, he still missed those days, when everything was simple... Lucas couldn't help but stare at his twin's sneaker as he combed his hair, soon moving his gaze to the mirror and imagined his mother, combing his hair instead of him.

Claus would always complain; trying to rush their mother, while Lucas let her take her time; ignoring how Claus got on her case for how long she was taking... But now, it was nearly silent. The only thing Lucas heard was the comb moving through his hair.

Lucas' father, Flint, left the same note as he always did during the past year, promising Lucas that he'd find Claus this time... Lucas wondered if he reused the same note, even as he prepared some omelettes for himself. But he couldn't blame his father, last year was terrible. Even today...

The Pigmasks, as his father and Wess liked to call them due to how their behaviour and helmets resembled pigs, were working so hard under Fassad's command to help fill Tazmily Village with happiness and innovation for change... Lucas knew they weren't as they seemed. He had to save a girl, Wess, and a monkey from getting killed by them a year ago with the help of the baby Drago and its parent... That led to Lucas being marked as an enemy in Fassad's eyes, and Lucas constantly was sneered and mocked at whenever he passed Fassad. The man even crowed about how unhappy Lucas and Flint must have been if they were willing to oppose his, and now the villagers' ideals.

It was hard to believe the village was already reforming to Fassad's ideals, but Lucas once heard his father tell him people tended to be persuaded and manipulated easily. The peddler who came a year ago already had most of the villagers around his finger... Lucas could hardly recognize them some days, it was something that always made his stomach churn from the thought of.

As Lucas walked through the village, he tried to steer clear of Fassad or the Pigmasks. He didn't want to be picked out from the crowd and have the villagers whisper and watch him warily... He missed how the villagers used to warmly greet him, but they were now wrapped up in Fassad's web of lies. He hoped Fuel and Lighter hadn't changed like the rest of the villagers, but he hadn't seen them for a while. Fuel seemed the type to watch a Happy Box, but he wasn't sure about Lighter. Lucas only desperately wished they were the same as before.

Absently he stared into Sunshine Forest from where he stopped at the edge of Tazmily Village. By now it was almost fully replenished after the fire happened. He could faintly hear the cries of chimeras, reminding him it was no longer safe to tread through the forest without a means of protection. He even picked up a stick, just in case one showed up suddenly.

Even though he was safe in the village, he couldn't forget the night of the fire... the 'Night of the Funeral' the villagers liked to refer to it as...

He decided he should visit his mother's grave today.

* * *

As he knelt down before Hinawa's grave, he could already feel himself ready to cry. He wanted to, but he felt as though the other days he cried out everything that he could. But it still hurt, knowing she was gone...

A sunflower rested beside the spot his mother was buried. It still looked fresh, so Lucas knew his father had already visited her today. Lucas wished he could have brought her one, but the fields of sunflowers were harder to access now that chimeras walked almost everywhere but the village. For once did Lucas wish his father could have planted some sunflowers in the garden earlier this year... but it had been Hinawa's job... She was gone.

Almost like everyone and everything else these days...

The ten year old blinked, feeling heat behind his bright blue eyes. He wished everything stayed the same, he wished his mother never died... If he had been braver, like his twin, he could have stopped Claus from rushing off to avenge their mother. His father wouldn't be searching for his supposed dead brother, Fassad and the Pigmasks wouldn't be changing Tazmily Village. Everything would be the same, happier and better...

It all started with the fire... that _horrible_ fire.

Bringing his hands to his eyes, he let himself cry.

At least something hadn't changed about him... he was still a crybaby.

* * *

Some days he spent time with Leder, who constantly stood beside the bell tower on the outskirts of town. Despite how the silent man never once interacted with him, Leder never changed since the day Sunshine Forest was nearly destroyed. Lucas was glad of that.

Lucas let himself gaze at the tall bell tower. Like Leder, it seemed to have been here forever. In fact, Lucas hadn't remembered a day that Leder stopped ringing the bell when there were emergencies, or standing there almost all day without rest... It was as if this was something that was meant to be, as childish as it was to think that.

The very tall man never left his post, as far as Lucas had heard... Lucas wondered when Leder had time to eat, or to sleep, or to do anything else but to ring the bell or stand by the tower in silence. Some days Lucas made some omelettes and gave some to Leder, however, he never saw Leder eat them. But Lucas felt Leder ate them by the next day.

But one day some Pigmasks had walked by when Lucas was eating his lunch, oinking to each other as they glanced at Lucas.

"Isn't that the cowboy's son?" one asked with curiosity.

"You mean the farmer?" oinked the other one back as they stole another glance at Lucas. "Oh yeah, he's the one!"

"What's he doing with that freaking tall guy?"

"I dunno, but we shouldn't worry about him..." the second Pigmask oinked nonchalantly before he started to briskly walk away. "C'mon! We gotta do our job!"

"Oh- yeah! Wait for me!" squealed the first Pigmask as he dashed after the other.

Lucas watched them go, seeing them head towards a shallow tunnel where some of the older, stronger men in the village were swinging pickaxes into the surface of the rock while other Pigmasks scurried about or helped. A few days ago they started to create a tunnel for the new railway they wanted, something Lucas was unsure about. It was an idea that a Pigmask came up with after they complained about the lack of transportation the village had, then the other villagers started asking them what they meant. And upon hearing the matter, Fassad suggested that there should be a railway and the villagers had latched onto the idea quickly.

Lucas didn't see the purpose of the railway. What reason did they need to leave the village, or change how things have been? To him, it was needless. They had everything they needed long before Fassad came and spurred the villagers into a new way of thinking...

It was a few minutes later when Lucas remembered he forgot to feed the animals at home. So he quickly got up, brushing off the sprinkles of dirt clinging to his shorts before he waved at Leder.

"G-Goodbye, Leder!" Lucas stammered as the man merely gazed down at him for a few seconds, soon gazing back towards the workers.

Lucas turned around and dashed back towards the village, feeling his chest tighten as he worried about the animals.

* * *

The door swung open just as Lucas set down his plate of carrots and beans, awkwardly looking up as his father closed the door and locked it. With a squeak he smiled as he called out, "Hey, Dad!" As soon as Lucas noticed it was just him and his father, he lowered his head as he asked quietly, "Haven't found him?"

With a tip of his hat, Flint walked over and sat down in his chair. He hunched over, staring down at the table when he grunted, "Don't worry, I'll find him tomorrow, Lucas."

Lucas frowned at that. His father always promised him that Claus would be found, however Flint would always come home without any luck. Ever since the day Lucas' father and Grandfather Alec came back from the Drago Plateau, with nothing more than Claus' sneaker, Flint would go out early in the morning with hopes he would find Claus. Now a year later, Flint hadn't brought Lucas' twin home.

At one point in time, the topic of Flint's searches became the talk of the village for a few months until they grew bored of it. Now they ignored how Flint would tirelessly search for Claus, which made Lucas sad and angry that they it brushed off as though it wasn't important.

Claus wasn't someone who should be forgotten like this! Lucas' father shouldn't have to search for Claus when he was already deemed dead! The villagers' community of forgiveness and acceptance shouldn't have been shoved aside! Lucas wished Fassad and the Pigmasks never came and changed everything!

Lucas tried to calm himself down, just like his mother taught him to. She told him he shouldn't get angry when things didn't go his way... but how could he? Everything that the village and villagers had been, his life had been... was changing and he couldn't do a single thing about it! Interrupting Fassad's attempt at killing Wess, the monkey, and the girl was bad enough to land him on Fassad's 'unhappy people' list! For all Lucas knew, doing more opposition like that could kill him if Fassad had something to do about it. So Lucas tried harder to calm down, not wanting his father to be worried about him.

"...Did you eat already?" asked Lucas softly when he started to feel awkward about the silence they held.

Flint merely nodded his head. "I ate a lot of Nut Bread when some chimeras took me on by surprise on my way back." After he inhaled, he continued gruffly, "Nasty those Crag Lizards are... I forgot about them for one moment and they nearly had my arm for their supper!"

Lucas flinched at that. His father always hated those chimeras, especially the first time he faced them when he went after Claus into the mountain range.

For a while Lucas avoided looking at his father, not knowing what else to say. Lucas and his father always had difficulty speaking to each other. Even though they interacted to some degree, most of the time his father had been busy handling the animals so Lucas spent more time with his mother and brother than Flint.

Lucas started to eat his supper, quietly watching his father once and a while. His father was quiet, continuing to stare down at the table. Lucas wished things weren't like this. His father used to smile more, a lot more when Hinawa and Claus were still alive. If only Lucas stopped Claus, if only his mother hadn't pushed him and Claus off the cliff to save them from one of the Dragos that had been turned into a chimera... they would be together... happier.

* * *

Late into the next day, Lucas set out after he was finished his chores, bringing along Boney as he walked over to the village. The brown dog would yap and run ahead, sniffing the ground before trotting back to Lucas' side. Lucas would laugh happily, petting Boney on the head and continued to walk on the path towards the village. But when he nearly got to the square, he saw Fuel with Lighter.

"Where would he go, Dad?" asked Fuel puzzled as he looked up at his father.

"I have no clue, Fuel," said Lighter in defeat as he scratched his grey beard. "Beats me where a man that tall would go off to."

"Y-Yeah..." Fuel nodded, nervous by the looks of it. As soon as he turned around, he jumped as he looked in Lucas' direction. "Hey! Lucas!"

Boney barked as Fuel came near, soon panting as Fuel stopped in front of Lucas. "I haven't seen you for months!" he exclaimed before bending down to pet Boney. "Oh- and you too, Boney!"

 **"Hey, Fuel!"** barked Boney as he licked Fuel's hand. **"You smell different!"**

"I love you too, Boney," chirped Fuel before he wiped the drool off of his hands and onto his pants. He turned to Lucas and smiled. "Oh, did you get a Happy Box yet?"

Lucas smiled shyly, shaking his head. His father told him he shouldn't watch Happy Boxes, seeing that the villagers changed after getting one. He wasn't interested in them, as well as his father, Grandfather Alec, and Wess. Lucas didn't know what Happy Boxes were like, and he hoped he never had to.

"Aw man... you too!?" cried Fuel as he slumped his shoulders.

"Um, my dad doesn't want one," said Lucas quietly as he grimaced slightly. He was glad Fuel was the same. In all honesty, it was nice for a change that he was greeted warmly like this for once.

"Yeah, mine doesn't want one either!" shouted Fuel exasperated as he sighed. "And he doesn't let me watch it at anyone's house! Which _sucks_!"

"For good reason, Fuel," said Lighter sternly as he came over. "Happy Boxes?" he spat with deride. "More like Devil Boxes!" After a pause he snorted, "I have no clue what it's made of, or what it has on it, so I don't want us staring at it and rotting our perfectly good brains."

"Aw, Dad!" Fuel protested hotly. "I heard it has thousands of _'channels'_!"

Lighter shook his head with a scowl. "No."

The brown haired boy merely pouted and crossed his arms.

"So, Lucas," said Lighter as he looked down at Lucas, "How is Flint?"

"Oh, uh..." Lucas looked down. "He's good."

"I don't see him as much, but he's still looking for Claus, am I right?" asked Lighter gravely, soon receiving a timid nod from Lucas. With a sigh, he mused sorrowfully, "It's a phase, Lucas... After losing Hinawa and Claus in such a short amount of time, I can't blame him. Heck-" he ruffled Fuel's head as he added, "If it hadn't been for Flint, I would have lost Fuel and be almost in the same boat!"

Lucas nodded sadly, watching as Fuel squirmed and protested at what Lighter was doing. At least Fuel and Lighter didn't support Fassad or the Pigmasks... as far as Lucas could tell. So he relaxed a little bit, pondering what they were doing here when he remembered they were talking about someone. He felt a bit worried about what they had said, so he waited a bit until Lighter and Fuel were free to talk to him again.

"Um..." Lucas blinked his blue eyes as he frowned. "Who were you talking about earlier?"

Fuel stopped sticking out his tongue at his father and gave him an incredulous look. "Leder's gone!"

Lucas froze.

"Me and my dad were going to gather some wood when I _happened_ to notice he wasn't at the bell tower!" cried Fuel as he shook his head. "Crazy right!?"

Boney whimpered at that, **"I don't like the sound of that!"**

"But he was there yesterday," said Lucas quietly as his heart twisted in worry. "I was with him until the afternoon..."

"Hmm..." Lighter adjusted the log he had resting on his shoulder before he spoke warily, "I wonder..."

"Wonder what, Dad?" asked Fuel sharply as he turned to look up at his father.

"I had a thought, that maybe Leder left," explained Lighter thoughtfully as Lucas and Fuel gasped at that. "Don't get me wrong, kids... I have no clue what runs through his mind, so I can't say whether or not that's true."

"Leder would never leave!" exclaimed Fuel in dismay as Lucas nodded at that. "He's... just always been here, right? So he wouldn't leave!"

"Hold your tongue for a moment, Fuel," warned Lighter when Fuel opened his mouth only to slowly let it close. "You're right, he has been here for a long time... But there's a chance he may not like how things are running now." With a side-glance to Fassad, who stood in the middle of the square as he gestured as he spoke to the villagers, Lighter added calmly, "Leder never really showed opposition or approval of how Fassad is nudging everyone else towards the ideals he's advertising, but perhaps he may have thought living here wasn't the best for himself and left. We can't control how people feel... so it's best we should leave this."

"But what if he's hurt!" Lucas cried out in concern, staring off towards Sunshine Forest. "Shouldn't we go after him?"

"I'm sure he's fine, Lucas " said Lighter with a nod, shifting and adjusting his arm's hold on the log. "If he can stand by the bell tower almost the whole day without resting, I'm sure he can defend himself fine." After licking his chapped lips, he went on, "All I can say is that I'm happy for him either way. Heck, I can't imagine standing by the bell tower for my life. So if he found a better future for himself, I give my blessings to him for leaving our village with no regrets!"

"Will we see him again?" asked Lucas sadly, feeling heat behind his eyes. Just the thought that yesterday was the last day he would spend with Leder didn't sit well. If Lucas had known his last goodbye was yesterday, he would have tried to convince Leder to stay. He should have done at least something! Lucas couldn't believe he let another person go without stopping them... just like he did to Claus. And like the year before, he was too late to do anything now. What had happened couldn't be changed, he was powerless like he was before...

"If we do, we do," replied Lighter as he looked up at the sky. "That's all that we can do for now." Soon he turned back to them. "Say, Lucas?" After Lucas quickly nodded he asked calmly, "Would you like to have supper with us tonight?"

Lucas blinked at that, dismissing his thoughts to snap his attention to Fuel as he gasped excitedly, "Yes! We haven't had supper with you for a long time!"

For a while Lucas thought on it, studying how Fuel looked ready to explode from excitement while Lighter looked at him calmly. Lucas remembered how awkward his dinners were with his father, how depressing they were, how Lucas felt emptier every time his father came home without Claus... He remembered how lonely it was to walk through Tazmily Village, feeling unwelcome as though he was a stranger... He wanted something familiar, something to distract him from everything that had happened before now. He wanted to forget about the things that haunted his mind for the last year, enough to stop worrying for at least a little bit... He felt a moment of time with them would do the trick, well, at least he hoped so.

He smiled soon and gave a nod.

"Yes!" Fuel bounced up before he punched his fist to the sky. "Maybe he could stay over for the night also!"

"Well, that's pushing it, Fuel..." mused Lighter with a chuckle. "Maybe supper will be enough for today."

"Yeah, I _guess_..." Fuel's brown eyes still sparkled nonetheless.

"I-I'll leave a note for my dad, I-I don't want to worry him," said Lucas quietly as Boney yapped and hopped around Fuel.

"Flint will understand. After all, me and him are close friends, you know," said Lighter mildly. "Oh, and you could bring Boney along. I do believe I have some dog treats with me..."

Boney yapped happily, **"Yes! Treats!"** he bounded over to Lucas and wagged his tail. **"C'mon, Lucas! Let's go!"**

Lucas giggled, bending down to pet Boney's head and whispered, "Okay, Boney... But I have to write to Dad first."

 **"Then _hurry_! Those treats are calling for me to eat them already!"** barked Boney as he whined and shifted a bit on the spot.

"We'll wait for you here, Lucas," said Lighter as Lucas started to walk back home.

After watching Boney run off, Lucas nodded back to him before dashing after Boney.

* * *

When he found a piece of parchment, he started to write, hoping his father could read his writing.

It had been a long time since Lucas felt excitement bubble through him, the thrill at the thought that he could do something with a friend. Lucas had to wonder how his father would feel that he would be spending supper with Lighter and Fuel, but then again, Lighter said it would be fine. But would his father feel happy? Sad? Lonely? Lucas hoped his father would understand, his father never asked what he did everyday so Lucas felt his father wouldn't be angry.

But it was strange how his mind felt clearer now, how easier it was to think in the here and now... It had to have been the interaction, something that eased his sorrows enough for him to feel better than he had been. To spend time with Fuel and Lighter was something Lucas hadn't done in a while, and he felt he should do more of it in the future.

Yes, he liked that idea.

Once he finished and put down the note where Flint normally sat at the table, Lucas got up to go outside and locked the house.

* * *

 **\- End -**

 **Hope you enjoyed the story! =3**

 **...**

 **EeveeGen9988: Ah, Mother 3... A videogame with a great storyline yet it was not officially english dubbed and released in North America until someone fandubbed it... Seriously, I would have loved playing this game if it was released! DX And it might have been for the Gameboy Advance! My childhood game console until I got my DS Lite!**

 **Anyway, this story got longer than I thought it was going to be... At first I struggled with it, but then each time I went to my inspiration place (as I like to call it) I gradually created this not knowing it was going to be over 3000 words long, heh... In fact, before I went to my inspiration place I had no clue how I was going to approach the prompts until I let myself relax and listen to my surroundings... then I started writing without even knowing what would happen! Then after going to my inspiration place 3 times I had the story ready for revision! Heh, I have to wonder if everyone has a special place that allows them to be inspired... =3**

 **I am so glad I decided to just write my stories on my device and not paper this time! Seriously, this has saved me quite the hassle from the other 2 years I wrote on paper then revised it and retyped it to my computer then took half a year or more to post all of my chapters (for my two main stories) per year! *shoves notebook away* =D**

 **So I took [Til the end of time] this time! So basically, even though most of the villagers have changed since Fassad came, Lucas has found that not all of them (Lighter and Fuel) have. Well, how would you feel if your friend (or people you know really well) stopped hanging out or was unfriendly towards you for a long period of time...?**

 **I'm also taking the classic [Repetition]! Okay, I didn't keep repeating the same lines (I think) but Lucas kept thinking back to the past a lot, thinking of things that happened at least more than once. It could also apply to how Lucas kept thinking about how things and people have changed or how he was glad some things and people haven't changed. Um... that makes sense, right? *tips head to one side***

 **Wow, I still find it hard to believe it's the second half of Twelve Shots of Summer already... I hope everyone hangs in there and I wish you all good luck! =D**


End file.
